Ray Rice SPEAKS OUT For The First Time Since His NFL Suspension, President Obama WEIGHS In On Domestic Violence

Former NFL player Ray Rice is speaking out for the first time since his firing from the Ravens and NFL suspension, telling ESPN and CNN that he's being strong for his wife and is in good spirits. More inside including President Obama's statement on the matter...

"'I have to be strong for my wife,’ said Rice. '[Janay] is so strong. We are in good spirits.'
'We have a lot of people praying for us and we’ll continue to support each other. I have to be there for [Janay] and my family right now and work through this.'

Then, Janay spoke to ESPN (via phone) saying,

'I love my husband. I support him. I want people to respect our privacy in this family matter.'

His first statement comes on the heels of Janay's Instagram post from earlier on Tuesday where she DEFENDED him and said,

'I woke up this morning feeling like I had a horrible nightmare, feeling like I'm mourning the death of my closest friend. But to have to accept the fact that it's reality is a nightmare in itself. No one knows the pain that the media & unwanted options from the public has caused my family. To make us relive a moment in our lives that we regret every day is a horrible thing."

Since the longer video was made public on Monday,

--Nike has cut ties with Ray Rice
--Computer game developer EA Sports is removing him from Madden 15 NFL simulation
--The Baltimore Ravens said fans will be able to exchange their 'Rice 27' jerseys at stadium stores.

And from the highest office in the land, White House spokesman Josh Earnest released a short statement from the POTUS:

'The President is the father of two daughters. And like any American, he believes that domestic violence is contemptible and unacceptable in a civilized society. Hitting a woman is not something a real man does, and that's true whether or not an act of violence happens in the public eye, or, far too often, behind closed doors. Stopping domestic violence is something that's bigger than football – and all of us have a responsibility to put a stop to it.'